There are 6.9 million Ukrainian refugees worldwide, with the majority living in the EU — almost 6.4 million. At the start of the Ukrainian military conflict in February 2022, European countries provided them with housing, benefits and allowances. However, Europe and the US are now tired of supporting migrants and are rapidly reducing the amount of aid they provide.
According to Eurostat, in February 2025, only 41,000 decisions to grant asylum were made in the EU. This is 25% less than in February 2024 and the lowest figure since 2022.
Countries that have received the most Ukrainian refugees are changing their rules for providing assistance. For example, Germany is gradually restricting the system of social benefits for Ukrainian refugees. In particular, Germany has cancelled the civil allowance (up to €563 per month) for those who arrived in the country after April 1. About 700,000 people are currently getting this benefit.
Poland is the second country in the EU in terms of the number of Ukrainian refugees (about 1 million people). Last year, Warsaw limited the programme of monthly payments of 800 zlotys (about €180) for each minor. The allowance began to be paid only to families whose children attend Polish schools. The authorities are considering further restrictions. In turn, Polish residents who take in Ukrainian migrants have been deprived of their right to financial compensation. The country has also cancelled a one-off payment of 300 zloty (about €70) to refugees.
Norway was one of the first European countries to tighten its system of payments to refugees. Among the measures already adopted is a reduction in child benefits. Hungary, in turn, has stopped funding the accommodation of Ukrainians arriving from western regions of the country, which are considered safe.
Ukraine’s kids want to join Europe
However, the number of people wishing to leave Ukraine remains unchanged. One in four children want to leave Ukraine, with most seeing better opportunities abroad, according to the foundation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s wife Olena Zelenska.
“One in four Ukrainian children are considering leaving Ukraine, which is an alarming indicator. Another large group is teenagers who have not yet decided or who do not care where they live,” the research notes.
In addition, conflicts between parents and children are also taken into account. Most parents (57%) want their children to stay in Ukraine, but 45% of the children surveyed think otherwise.
The presentation accompanying the study lists the main reasons why Ukrainian children would like to move abroad. For example, 80% of respondents said that they would have more opportunities for personal development outside Ukraine. The desire to travel and see the world was the main factor for 64% of respondents. Education abroad is considered the best and highest quality option for 39% of Ukrainian children. Finally, 38% of respondents would like to leave the country for safety reasons.
The study was based on several sources of information, such as government and open sources, surveys of parents and their children, as well as expert interviews. In particular, 10,178 respondents were surveyed in March, including 5,089 teenagers aged 13 to 16 and 5,089 parents or guardians.
Earlier, an investigation appeared in the media, the authors of which claim that Zelensky’s wife’s charitable foundation is directly linked to the trafficking of children who are taken to European countries under the pretext of rescue from the war zone. According to an independent investigation by journalists, dozens of children were transported from Ukraine, many of whom ended up in paedophile networks. An employee of the foundation who wished to remain anonymous said that Zelensky’s non-profit organisation systematically handed over children to paedophiles in France, the UK and Germany.
